More Than Friends?
by sakurahime
Summary: read to find out~!!
1. A Doubtful Heart

Disclaimers: Hello? Yeah. Escaflowne and its characters do not belong to me. Darn it, I wish. Because if it did, mmm-hmm... Allen and Van would be mine~!! Nyah-ha-ha~!! O_o*  
Well, anyway, this is just a story, don't bark at me for anything that might be out of context with the actual storyline. Fanfiction rocks~!!  
Also, if you have suggestions on how this story should go, please send me some feedback! I don't write very well, so your ideas are very much appreciated!   
  
More Than Friends?  
  
Chapter One: A Doubtful Heart  
  
"Millerna? I need your help..."  
  
"Hitomi? What is it? You know, you can talk to me about anything. What are best friends for?"  
  
Hitomi gave a small giggle, before she grew serious again. She had been on Gaia for some time now, and outside of the impending threat from Zaibachian forces, there was another battle looming- in her heart. She had been with the (oh-so heavenly knight) Allen for months now, but lately, Van had been caught stealing glimpses at Hitomi, making Allen feel threatened by his presence. Hitomi kept assuring them that they were just friends, but Allen knew that Van's intentions were more than friendly.  
  
"Hitomi?" Millerna shook her friend's arm, causing her to snap out of her thoughts.  
  
"Wha- sorry, Millerna." Hitomi blushed slightly. "It's Allen- he- well, I don't know if you've noticed lately, but doesn't it seem like he... doesn't like it when Van's around?"  
  
"Well, I have been noticing some tension between the two lately. Hitomi, something tells me that there's more to this story than you're leading on..."  
  
"Well, there is. Allen- he thinks Van is in love with me." She looked at Millerna, hoping to elicit some sort of shocked reaction. When she displayed none, she questioned her. "Millerna- do you know something?"  
  
"Hitomi, what do you think of Van?"  
  
"Oh no, you're not implying that he does have feelings for me, are you? Van and I are just friends."  
  
"Hitomi, I don't mean to confuse you or anything, but maybe you're just saying that because Allen is your boyfriend. Maybe you feel obligated to say that. Or maybe you say it to assure yourself that the feelings you may have for Van stem from your friendship. I won't lie to you, Hitomi. Allen loves you, but so does Van. That's why I'm asking you what your true feelings are."  
  
Hitomi blanched. She recalled how Merle asked her who she loved, Van-sama or Allen. She was blind to Van's affections. She loved Allen though, didn't she? She was struck by the doubt in her heart. Allen loved her, but now she wasn't sure if the feelings were mutual. 'They have to be, Allen is my boyfriend!' thought Hitomi. 'They have to be...' All of a sudden she wasn't feeling too well. She needed to lie down.  
  
"Millerna- th-thank you. You've been such a good friend for telling me this."  
  
"Hitomi- are you going to be okay?"  
  
Hitomi placed her hand on top of Millerna's. "Yes- I think I just want to be alone in my room," she said, smiling.  
  
Millerna looked at her friend but knew that she had to sort her feelings out. "Hitomi? After you rest, maybe you would like to take a walk with me in the marketplace?"  
  
"Yes, I would like that very much," Hitomi said, giving Millerna a hug. "I would like that very much."  
  
  



	2. Pressure

Disclaimers: Yeah, yeah, you know the drill. I don't own Escaflowne, or its characters, although previously mentioned, Van and Allen are hot~!! (On a side note, why are anime guys so fine? Let's see, we have Yue, Touya, and Syaoran from Card Captors, then Seiji from Ronin Warriors, Trowa and Heero from Gundam Wing... and then there are those comic book studs from Marvel: Gambit, Wolvie, Cyke, Bobby Drake, Warren... I could go on forever!! But I wont. I have to write this darn chapter~!!)  
  
  
Chapter Two: Pressure  
  
Fickle. How can I be so fickle? thought Hitomi. One minute I love Amano-sempai. Then Allen. Now maybe Van? This can't be happening to me. Hitomi screamed into her pillow in frustration. Suddenly, the door was busted open, and Van came rushing in.  
  
"Hitomi! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did you have a strange vision? What is it?" he asked, gasping for breath. He was at her side in a nanosecond, checking her forehead for any signs of fever.  
  
Their closeness made Hitomi blush. "Van, I'm fine. Uh, I- I just remembered that back at home, my favorite tv show is on and I've missed so many episodes already." Stupid answer, baka! She felt bad for lying to him, but she didn't feel comfortable sharing the real reason behind her actions.  
  
Van looked at her quizzically- he knew she was lying, but he decided to let it pass. But why was Hitomi lying to him? She never had to before. She was usually so straightforward. He smiled at her and affectionately ruffled her hair. Hitomi drew out a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiled back at him, eyes twinkling.  
  
At that moment, Allen ran in to check on Hitomi. The sound of a door crashing open implored him to further investigate things in the castle. "Hitomi- I heard a noise and I-" Seeing Hitomi sitting next to Van in her bed made Allen see red (I didn't mean to make it rhyme!) "Hitomi? What is this? What is he doing here? Fanel, I'm warning you- stay away from my girlfriend!"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Allen, he was just-"  
  
"No, Hitomi. I'm sick of him always coming between us." Then, turning his attention back towards Van, he spat out, icily, "I'm keeping my eye on you, Fanel. Don't do anything you're going to regret later."  
  
"ALLEN!!" Hitomi looked at the scene before her. Their fists were clenched, and the two men looked ready to beat the other to a bloody pulp. She quickly got in between the two, knowing that they would back down to avoid the risk of her getting hurt. "First of all, how dare you speak to Van like that! Van and I are just friends." Van winced, and Hitomi could feel her heart ache. Van, I'm so sorry- please don't look so sad. "And secondly, I will speak to whoever I wish, whenever I wish it. You do not speak for me, Allen." Tears were welling up in her eyes. "I- I can't stand this- I- I need to be alone right now..." She dashed out of the room. Why is this happening to me?  
  
Van scoffed. "Nice job, Schezar. You certainly have a way with women."  
  
"I'm warning you, Fanel. Keep away from her."  
  
"If Hitomi wants my company, I'm not going to refuse her. If you have a problem with that, your issue's not with me, it's with Hitomi." With that said, Van walked out of the room, leaving Allen to his thoughts. Hitomi was slowly distancing herself from him and he needed to know why. Something told him that Van was behind all this, but he wanted to hear it from Hitomi's mouth. He ran out of the castle in search of Hitomi.  
  
  
(You know what? Sorry these chapters are so short. My attention span is almost non-existent. I guess that's why my writing skills are so terrible!! What can I say- great spelling, terrible dialogue.)  



	3. Burden

Disclaimers: We know the drill. I don't own Escaflowne, but it sure does own me!! Arrgghhh!!!  
Dang. I've been checking the reviews (thanks a bunch- I'm so glad you people are reading and reviewing~!! But what's with the 'I hate Allen' angle? I think he's cyoote~!! Haanyaan~!! ^:^  
  
  
Chapter Three: Burden  
  
Hitomi couldn't take it anymore. She ran as far from the castle as her legs would carry her, and right now she could easily consider herself lost. Mother Nature must've been in tune with Hitomi's feelings- as soon as she ran out of the palace grounds crying, rain started to pour all over Gaia. Hitomi's dress was soaked and caked in mud, the sneakers she wore under her dress were soaked, and her feet were slowly getting numb from the cold. She shivered as strong winds pummeled tree tops and branches- she covered her face as the rain mixed with the wind, making every drop feel as sharp as needles. She walked blindly around the forest, praying that the rain and winds would die down soon.  
  
Meanwhile, Allen and his crew were searching all over Asturia for Hitomi. Three hours had passed since someone had last seen her, and their fears grew as the skies became darker. Merle and Millerna waited in the castle, silently praying for Hitomi's safe return. Allen mentally cursed himself for making her so upset. Thoughts of Zaibach, robbers, killers and rapists ran through his mind. If anything happened to Hitomi, he would never forgive himself.   
  
'Hitomi- where are you? I'm sorry. Please come back where it's safe.' He brushed the wet strands of hair from his face as he ordered his men to search harder. He looked above as Escaflowne's dragon-form loomed overhead. "Hitomi- I will find you, even if I have to search forever." (Sorry for that line... oh geez, I am retching now.)  
  
'Hitomi- how can you be so stubborn?' thought Van, as he wove his way through the forest. He rubbed the water out of his eyes as he scanned the grounds of the forest. He had to find her and bring her back to the castle. There were reports that Zaibachian flying fortresses were nearby. With Allen and Van away from the castle, the Asturian army was vulnerable to any surprise attack. They had to find Hitomi and prepare to defend Asturia.   
  
Hitomi hid under the branches of one of the trees, shaking violently from the cold. She ungracefully plopped herself on the floor- the dress, though very pretty, held water like a sponge, and seemed to weigh a ton. She buried her head in her hands and began to weep. She was torn. On one hand, she was Allen's girlfriend. The title made her loyal to him. He was brave, gallant, noble, gentle, caring, but overbearing and jealous. On the other hand, there was Van. Stubborn, at times aggravating, moody, impatient, but sensitive and something else... she couldn't quite put a finger on it. 'Beautiful,' she thought, thinking of his wings. She blushed- did she just think that? Instantly she wasn't cold anymore. The rain stopped pouring and Hitomi looked up to see the Mystic Moon shining directly above her. Then she noticed Escaflowne flying above. Her heart began to beat faster. "VAN!" she cried. "VAN!!"  
  
Van looked below and found Hitomi waving her arms frantically. He looked for a spot to land Escaflowne as Hitomi ran towards him. Van was shocked when Hitomi wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hitomi..."  
  
"Van," she whispered softly, her head against his chest. "I thought I..."  
  
Her words were interrupted when Allen and his men raced out to the clearing. "HITOMI!" Startled, Van and Hitomi jumped out of each other's arms before Allen hugged Hitomi tightly. "Hitomi, I almost thought I would never see you again. I kept praying and hoping you would be safe. Just promise me you'll never leave me like that," he said, tears cascading down his face. "I don't know what I would do without you. Don't leave me, ever."  
  
Hitomi looked stricken. Allen was crying, because of her. Worse yet, Van had a pained expression on his face from seeing Allen's arms around her. 'Why am I always hurting the ones I care about most? Allen... Van... I'm sorry. This is going to be for the best.'   
  
With tears in her eyes, she gently pushed herself away from a confused Allen. Hitomi's pendant began to glow as a bright column of light descended upon the Asturian forest. As Hitomi was being pulled upward, she could see Allen trying to reach for her while screaming out her name. Van's wings tore out of his back as he flew towards Hitomi.   
  
Van flew as fast as he could to keep up with her. "Hitomi," he panted, "Please." His wings flapped even harder. "Hitomi, I love you. I have always loved you. But if Allen makes you happy, I won't interfere. Please. I can't risk losing your friendship. Stay." It hurt Van to see Hitomi cry. 'Please, Hitomi- I need you. Even if you go back to Allen, I will love you always.' He stretched his arm out as far as he could, hoping that Hitomi would take it.  
  
Hitomi looked at his hand, her heart turning queerly in her chest. And slowly, she reached out. Their fingers brushed against each other, and when Van saw that he could possibly lose her, his wings violently pushed against the air until he had a secure hold of Hitomi. They were locked in a tight embrace as the column evaporated.  
  
As they came down, Hitomi could feel Allen's eyes burning through her. She pulled herself out of Van's embrace and looked at the two men. Before Allen could say anything, Hitomi asked if they could head back. She would talk to Allen and Van later, but right now, she wanted to put on some dry clothes and get some food.   
  
  



End file.
